Young people create 3D versions of Dong Ho paintings.

Opening new avenues for heritage

The "New Dong Ho" group consists of five members: Luu Thuy Nguyen, Pham Thi Le Dung, Nguyen Pham Thu Trang, Tran Thi Thuy Trang, and Vu Huy Hoang. They are all students of the Interior Design Department, Hanoi University of Architecture, and are all very young.

According to team leader Luu Thuy Nguyen, the group's "3D Transformation of Dong Ho Paintings" project originated from a scientific research topic exploring the traditional value of folk paintings in modern home interiors. While researching solutions, their supervising professor, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Hong Cuong, suggested the idea of ​​transforming 2D Dong Ho paintings into 3D sculptures for use in modern home interiors.

“So the whole group started to delve deeper, beginning with Dong Ho paintings and 3D printing technology. When we encountered Dong Ho paintings, we were all surprised and impressed by the unique rough texture of the Do paper and the shimmering mother-of-pearl shell. Dong Ho paintings have simple, rustic designs, but upon closer examination, we realized how meticulously the artisans crafted them. The animals are whimsical and lively, and the colors are very natural and vibrant,” said young artist Pham Thi Le Dung.

The "New Dong Ho" team won second prize in the 6th National "Students and Young Entrepreneurs with Startup Ideas" competition.

Soon after, along with the launch of the "New Dong Ho - 3D Dong Ho Statue Souvenir Set and Statue Painting Kit," the "New Dong Ho" group was also established. Since September 2023, the group has traveled back and forth to Dong Ho painting village many times, meeting artisans, directly experiencing the painting process, and learning about the heritage.

Under the guidance of artisan Nguyen Huu Qua, the young people are gaining a deeper understanding of how to make ancient Dong Ho paintings, appreciating the subtle artistry of this style. However, the group also clearly sees that Dong Ho paintings are facing the risk of extinction due to significant changes in people's aesthetic tastes and living spaces.

“It’s called a painting village, but now only a few households still make paintings. As young people, we realize the need to preserve, protect, and promote the value of this heritage. With that in mind, the “New Dong Ho” group aims to find a new path so that the essence of Dong Ho folk art can be more widely present in daily life,” said young artist Pham Thi Le Dung.

This 3D product is a reinterpretation of the painting "Buffalo Herder Playing the Flute" from Dong Ho folk art.

Despite their determination, difficulties constantly arose once they started working on the project. The most challenging problem for the entire team was figuring out what the back of the painting would look like; how the other side of each cat, mouse, buffalo, etc., should be depicted, and what patterns should be used. This was because a 2D painting only showed the front, while a 3D product had to represent all sides and nuances of the objects in the painting.

"The pressure was quite high because sometimes we lacked the knowledge and confidence to translate the spirit of Dong Ho paintings into 3D products. The team members debated a lot. The designs looked good, but many of the finished products didn't meet expectations and had to be discarded," shared young artist Nguyen Pham Thu Trang.

The desire for folk art to harmonize with modern life.

After nearly a year, the project has produced 8 products adapted from Dong Ho paintings. In May 2024, surpassing hundreds of projects from more than 200 universities and colleges, the "New Dong Ho" group's product excellently won second prize in the 6th National "Students and Young Entrepreneurs with Startup Ideas" competition.

The competition organizers assessed that these products belong to the social impact business category; they not only contribute to preserving and disseminating the beauty and artistic value of traditional Dong Ho folk paintings but also offer a range of interior decoration products imbued with Vietnamese culture.

The project also contributes to the development of the domestic market for interior decorations and souvenirs, creating jobs for art students, general laborers, and a portion of people with disabilities in society. The project is feasible, as there are very few product lines on the market that meet the demand for quality and aesthetics in interior decoration reflecting pure Vietnamese culture.

The 3D product "The Mouse Wedding"

According to Dr. Pham Dinh Khue, Head of the Student Affairs and Political Education Department at Hanoi University of Architecture, the new Dong Ho group has achieved initial success in creating innovative products that connect the profession with the social environment. Going forward, the university will continue to support them in perfecting their products and registering copyrights for commercialization.

“This is the right direction. We’ve seen that Russians have a very popular set of dolls as gifts for foreign tourists, or tourists visiting Singapore often buy lion statues as gifts, and those in Malaysia buy twin towers as souvenirs… If this 3D Dong Ho painting product is invested in to become a souvenir product like that, besides the economic value it brings, the value in promoting Vietnamese culture will also be very great. In addition, in a modern home, transforming 2D paintings into 3D decorative products will bring traditional culture harmoniously into modern living spaces,” Dr. Khue hoped.

Mr. Khue added that this product will target many customer groups; it can replace plastic with metal, wood, or stone; and it can be gold-plated at a price suitable for many people. The product also targets children, as instead of letting them paint statues of robots, Elsa princess models, or Spider-Man, they will have the opportunity to become more familiar with purely Vietnamese cultural symbols.

The teacher and students of the "New Dong Ho" group discuss the project.

“This product lays the foundation to help students start their own businesses by developing their future careers. It's encouraging that even during the competition, some people came to order the product to decorate their homes. After the competition, we continued to receive many offers to purchase the product and proposals for collaboration to expand production and commercialize it. However, despite having set a development direction, we still want the students to understand the need to further improve and diversify the product. The goal is for the product to be truly exquisite, beautiful, and suitable for modern life when it reaches the market,” shared Dr. Pham Dinh Khue.

The Vu

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/gioi-tre-3d-hoa-tranh-dong-ho-post303882.html